August 22, 2016 – (Boulder, CO) The Amy D. Foundation is proud to announce that it will field a composite team of riders at the Green Mountain Stage Race (www.gmsr.info), September 2-5, 2016 in Vermont. The structure of the team will provide important development opportunities for up-and-coming athletes including the historic immersion of a 24-year-old from Eritrea, Africa, in collaboration with the Team Africa Rising program.
The Amy D. Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, works to build participation, opportunity, and equality for women in the sport of cycling, empowering the pursuit of lofty dreams. Seasoned professional cyclists and carefully-selected staff provide mentoring of developing athletes, an important component of the programming. The ultimate goal is to facilitate strong personal and societal development that transcends the sport of cycling.
The Amy D. Foundation will support a team of six riders at the upcoming event: Gretchen Stumhofer (27, San Diego, CA), Cara O’Neill (17, Tucson, AZ), Kira Payer (17, Housatonic, MA), Lauren LeClaire (30, Medford, MA), Stefanie Sydlik (31, Pittsburgh, PA), and Yohana Dawit (24, Eritrea, Africa). Amy D. Foundation participation in the Green Mountain Stage Race is meaningful because of Amy Dombroski’s roots in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Amy grew up in Vermont; her welcoming smile and competitive spirit become well-known at the event as she raced to multiple stage victories early in her cycling career. The event has been host to numerous cyclists who have gone on to compete at the Olympics and other national and international-level competition. Amy’s Father still lives in the area and will provide host housing to the Amy D. Foundation team while they compete at the event. As does the family of Olympian Lea Davison, whose organization that she and sister Sabra run, Little Bellas, collaborates closely with the Amy D. Foundation.
The appearance of a talented Eritrean rider on the Amy D. Foundation team at Green Mountain Stage Race will be a historic event, not only for African cycling, but for the sport of cycling as a whole. The opportunity is viewed as directly meeting the mission of the Amy D. Foundation in the greatest sense. Dan Dombroski, Founder and President of the Amy D. Foundation explained: “Although the associated cost is large to bring a single African rider to this one event, the significance is also large. I think it helps set a higher precedence for what we as a community can accomplish. Whether the athletes we support come from within the United States or a country in Africa, the end goal of building opportunity and facilitating development is equally applicable.”
The Amy D. Foundation has received overwhelming positive feedback about the road cycling program, both internally and externally. The organization is getting more requests for new opportunities from athletes, coaches, and parents than can be provided under current budgetary constraints. “We have already seen fantastic results from this programming and we’re just getting started,” says Dombroski. “We’ve been able to provide exciting and valuable opportunities for younger up-and-coming women to learn from, and compete alongside, some of the best athletes in the sport. We’ve helped developing athletes start their careers in the sport. It’s been hugely rewarding to see the personal development that takes place. I encourage anyone in this community who sees the value in the programming to please support it so that we can continue to grow the impact.”
The Amy D. Foundation is actively seeking funding to support extension of the programming into the 2017 season. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Amy D. Foundation, please visit: amydfoundation.org/donate-foundation. To learn more about the Amy D. Foundation, please visit amydfoundation.org or follow us on social media (Facebook: amydfoundation; twitter: AmyD_Foundation, Instagram: amydfoundation).